Once Upon a Time
by BookwormKiwi
Summary: ChaseCam. An original fairy tale that parallels a period in Chase and Cameron's lives. Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

Once Upon a Time They Lived Happily Ever After – and everything that happened in between

BookwormKiwi

Disclaimer: I can't think of something creative to put here, so: Not mine

A/N: I wrote this a while ago, as a Christmas present for biggesthousefan53. A bit unrealistic and mushy, but I guess a lot of Chase/Cam is, right? The chapters will be short, as I didn't intend it to be a chaptered story, and they're broken into parts the best way possible. Fast updates, though!

* * *

_Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful princess, and a handsome prince. The prince and the princess were secretly in love. So secretly, not even the other knew. Indeed, so secretly, not even they themselves knew._

"Coffee?" Cameron turned around, stirring a mug of steaming liquid. Chase, and a pencil slowly getting eaten, looked up.

"Nah. I've already had one." Chase made a face. "I'm trying to cut down."

Cameron smiled into her mug as she took a sip. "Good luck with that."

There was a minute's silence, in which Chase stared longingly at Cameron's disappearing coffee, and Cameron, with amusement, watched him do it.

"You wouldn't mind pouring me a cup?" He smiled sheepishly. Cameron laughed softly at his blatant dismissal of his endeavour. When she turned around to fulfil his request, she heard a third body traipse in.

"You two want to grab a drink on your way home?" Foreman took of his lab coat and hung it over the back of a chair, reaching for his bag.

"Forget that coffee, Cameron."

She put away the empty mug and finished her own in a couple of mouthfuls.

"I'll come." She got out some dishwashing liquid to wash up her mug and another one on the sink that she suspected belong to House.

"I'll get that," Chase offered, pushing himself out of his chair.

"They're not even yours," she protested, filling each mug with water. Chase came and stood so closely behind her that she could feel his body heat radiating off him.

"I'm ready to go," he said. "Go pack up your computer."

Resignedly, Cameron handed over the dish cloth she was using. Chase's fingers curled around hers, and for a brief second, the world was still, and Cameron desperately tried not to look away. Although the second felt like an hour, it was, really, only a second, which ended when chase tugged the cloth out of her hand.

Cameron willed herself to move over to the table, where her laptop lay shut. Foreman obviously noticed the tension. Cameron watched him out of the corner of her eye, glancing from to her to Chase, fishing around for something to say.

Cameron slipped her computer case into her bag and went back over to the sink with a dish towel.

"Let me dry."

Chase nodded and moved aside to give her access o the sink.

"So slow," Foreman said, showing his obvious impatience through his body language, standing at the door. "Are you coming? Or are you gonna stay and play happy families for a while?"

Cameron almost threw down her towel in an attempt to get away from Chase, but he calmly picked up the discarded towel and dried his hands.

"I'm good. Let's go."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A/N: Well, this one's a lot longer than the last.

* * *

_The prince and princess spent much time together, enjoying each other's company. As the prince and princess became closer, they both realised there was something between them, but admitted it to no one, not even themselves._

"Anyone want another?" Cameron rose a little out of her seat. Foreman shook his head, emptying his glass.

"I have to go."

"On me," Chase said, pushing a bill across the table. Cameron picked it up and disappeared in the mass of people – more than Chase had seen in this place before.

Foreman was less affected by the alcohol as much as the other two – he had deliberately consumed less than they had. Foreman shrugged on a heavy coat.

"You two better not drive home."

Chase nodded into his glass. He was light-headed enough with the next drink. By the time Chase looked up, Foreman was gone, and Cameron was making her way back to him, shoving people out of the way with her shoulder.

The drinks spilled when Cameron put them down on the table, probably harder than intended.

"Where's Foreman?"

Her hair was coming out of what once was a neat pony tail, and rested on her shoulders. She seemed not to care, or perhaps not to notice it.

"He said he had to go." Chase accepted the glass she handed to him. "Reminded us not to drive home."

Cameron smiled, sipping her drink. "How'd he propose we get home?"

Chase didn't reply. They sat in companionable silence for a minute or so, each looking at a point over the shoulder of the other. The crowd appeared to have thinned considerably in the last few minutes.

"Y'know, I always thought Foreman was smart enough not to get involved with someone through word."

Chase turned his gaze to Cameron but she was looking determinedly at something behind him.

"Obviously not," he said, watching her eyes carefully. "Is it still going on?"

"I assume so," she said, feeling comfortable enough to look him in the eye now. "I haven't heard otherwise."

"I don't s'pose Foreman would tell us anyway."

Cameron nodded, and finally her hair was irritating enough to be awarded a push out of her eyes.

"What do you think of Foreman?"

Chase lowered his eyebrows curiously.

"What do you mean?"

She shrugged. "Just in general."

Chase didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure what she wanted to hear.

"He's pretty smart. He's a bit arrogant at times."

Cameron looked like she agreed with what he was saying, so he continued.

"He's not a bad doctor though. Why? What do you think of him?"

"He's…" she trailed off, tapping her glass evenly with her index finger. "He can be so kind and compassionate, and he cares, y'know?"

Chase swallowed. This wasn't taking any direction Chase was comfortable with.

Cameron's face was bordering on irritating enough to hit, with that genuine smile, but Chase scolded himself for thinking that way as soon as it clouded over.

"But he can be such a bastard!" she burst, and a couple sitting nearby turned around in alarm.

"Calm down, Cameron," he said, though it was merely a suggestion, as he thought the same.

Cameron shook her head, releasing yet more stray hair from the clutches of her hair tie. The gentle, rhythmic tapping ceased.

"He confuses me," she said, lifting her eyes from the table. She did look confused. "Like you."

Cameron smiled at his expression, his I-was-completely-unprepared-for-that expression.

"How do I confuse you? I'm a very simple guy. I'm from Australia," he added dryly. Cameron laughed at that.

"But you do," she said matter-of-factly. "You are way too open about everything, but there's so much you hide from everyone, especially yourself. You're smart, yet you can be so dumb."

Chase was going to respond with a defiant "I'm not dumb," but Cameron wasn't finished. In a tone that indicated she wasn't exactly sober, she said, "I hate you, yet I love you."

Chase froze. Cameron had said those three words in such a way that he was unsure whether they meant what they normally meant, or whether it was a friendly 'I love you'. Chase did consider that she had had a few glasses of alcohol, but hardly enough to go around saying things she didn't mean, Chase decided, only enough to loosen her tongue and say things no one was ever meant to hear.

"I'm not dumb," Chase said weakly. Cameron appeared not to have heard him, staring into her now empty glass, like a fortune teller reading tea leaves.

"What do you think of me?" she asked quietly. Now Chase was even more stuck for words.

"Um…you want me to go into detail?"

Cameron shook her head.

"I just wanna hear…no, go on."

Chase moved aside, letting someone pick up their glasses and take them away. With nothing to hold onto, Cameron curled on hand around the other, and stared straight at Chase. He was shocked to see a trace of fear in her eyes, whereas the rest of her face was quite unreadable.

"You're an amazing person," Chase blurted out quickly he felt a strong urge to erase the fear, though was disappointed when it was replaced with doubt.

"You're just saying that."

"I'm not." He gazed steadily back at her until her eyes cleared.

"I think you're compassionate, warm, friendly…" Chase saw he didn't need to continue when he noticed a pink tinge to her cheeks.

"Sorry," he said. "But it's true."

"Why are you sorry?" she asked, perplexed.

"For making you blush." He raised a hand, gesturing to her cheeks.

"I'm not blushing." It sounded automatic, and she sure looked worried about it. Cameron lifted her own hands, as if about to place them on her cheeks, but stopped herself.

"Why do you want to know?" Chase asked.

Cameron's eyebrows rose incredulously.

"You don't want to know what people think of you?"

"Yeah, but…not enough to actually ask them."

"You can ask your friends, can't you?"

"I don't need to ask my friends."

"Is that why you never asked me?" she shot, but heresy betrayed her curiosity.

Chase shrugged and smiled. "You're either not good enough a friend to ask, or a good enough one not to need to ask."

Cameron shared his smile, but in time, they both faded.

"Seriously, though," Chase said, his face reflecting his words. "Why'd you ask?"

Cameron's shoulders dropped a fraction, and her eyes had troubled keeping in line with his.

"I just…wanted to hear I wasn't just a pretty girl to you."

"Are you kidding me?" Chase exclaimed, shocked. "Is that what you think I think?"

"It's what I think everybody thinks!" she came out with, close to yelling.

"You're not," Chase said firmly. "You're not just-"

"_I_ know that. I just don't think everybody else knows that."

"Hey," he said, wondering whether she'd accept his hand if it reached across the table and took hers. "People might think you're a pretty girl, because you are."

Cameron opened her mouth, but chase stopped her by grabbing her hand. She looked down at it, then back at Chase.

"You are a pretty girl," he repeated, "but anyone who knows you knows that there's more than that."

He paused for effect.

"And I know you."

Cameron didn't respond. Chase gripped her hand tighter, and she gave him the tiniest smile possible.

"Thanks for knowing me Chase."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A/N: I decided that they really are too short, some of them, so here's two parts. And apologies for the bad spacings, etc, of the previous chapters. I edited it. If anyone spots anything else, though, please let me know.

Also, I've been rereading this so many times, and I can't imagine it any more perfect. However, I know it definitely can be. I would love you more if you gave me a review full or constructive criticism than if you showered me with praise (though...praise is always welcome, thanks).

* * *

_The people of the royal Court picked up on the vibes that passed between the prince and princess, but still, the two of them remained oblivious._

"Just look at them." House was standing in the hallway, looking through the office's glass walls. He shook his head, disgruntled.

"They're cute," Wilson protested. He had been meaning to drop by Cuddy's office to hand her a form needing a signature, but found House staring through a wall on his way there.

Chase said something which made Cameron laugh. He was crawling a full mug, stealing its heat before handing it over to Cameron. Foreman sat in the corner, seemingly unaware of his surroundings. His head was down, reading an open file. Cameron responded to whatever it was that Chase said with a smile.

"I should do something about it," House said pensively.

"You leave them alone, House," Wilson warned, taking his eyes off House's team. "Don't you have work to do?"

Wilson left him, intent on getting to Cuddy's office. House stood still for a moment, contemplating ways he might be able to push them together. He mentally crossed off all the options that weren't entertaining for him. There was nothing left on his list after that, he found.

"Good morning," he said upon entering. Three heads turned towards him. One was alert and expectant. The other two could only be described as lazy.

"You two look bright today."  
"I'm sorry," Cameron said sarcastically. "I didn't mean to."  
Chase grinned appreciatively.

"Ha," House said, glancing at them both. "14 year old female, chest pains, shortness of breath, not pneumonia."

House was almost disappointed to see them both get right into the diagnostic procedure. They were completely focused on the task at hand' their word wasn't unsatisfactory despite their obvious but unresolved feelings.

To be so friendly towards one another, house suspected something had already happened between them.

That turned out not to be the case, as the next day, the distance between them was the normal length, width and height. Cameron returned to offering coffee to only those witnessing her make it, and Chase continued to fill in crosswords with limited words in his spare moments. The only different House noticed between Chase and Cameron – as opposed to between Foreman and either of them – was the way they argued with each other. Cameron always started softly, eager to point out the good qualities of his theories as well as the flaws. Chase, on the other hand, fought to win. As soon as Cameron disagreed, Chase was rebutting. That led to a rise in Cameron's voice, and even House was left out of these "discussions", not quick enough to insert his own thoughts.

"Just because you're an immunologist doesn't mean everyone can be cured with immunosuppressants," Chase growled, his arms on his hips accusingly.

'I never said that!" Cameron retorted angrily.

"So what's giving them to _this_ patient going to do?" Chase yelled. "He'll die if we don't give him the _right _drugs."  
"Just because _you're_ an intensivist doesn't mean everyone's going to die in the next three seconds," she spat. "We have time."  
"Hey," House interrupted, feeling it was time to stop them, as they seemed so close to putting their hands around the other's throats.

"This isn't a competition. Foreman, do _you_ have an opinion?"

"What about multiple sclerosis?"

"I like it. Foreman, take some blood. Cameron, talk to the patient." He paused. "Chase, take a time out."  
Cameron and Chase's glares, previously aimed at each other, turned to Foreman and House respectively. House did notice, however, that their eyes softened, were less menacing, and they appeared not to be so prone to violence.

With one last dirty look at each other, they stalked off individually, Cameron in the direction of the patient's room, Chase, the opposite way. House actually had no idea where he was going.

Foreman folded his arms and calmly shook his head.

"I wish they'd just kiss and make up."

_A Royal Meeting was called to decide what to do about the young couple. The King was eager to push them together, but the Queen, knowing his intentions were only to receive the money and power that came with marriage, was against it. One Royal gave his support, as he could see how very much in love the prince and princess were, even though he didn't agree with the King's attitude. Only one Royal announced that he didn't care much for the plan._

"Well, it's not cancer." Wilson handed back the MRI scans. "I'm pretty sure you know that."  
"Just ruling out all the options."

Wilson nodded sceptically. Foreman came into the office. Ignoring Wilson, who was leaning against house's desk, he gave house what looked like lab results.

"Negative for vacuities," he said.

"Surprise, surprise." House looked gloomily out the wall. Without a word, he dove under the desk, a bit too lithe for a crippled man to be considered normal.

"House, there are four exam rooms in the clinic," cuddy said slowly and loudly, bursting through the door. "And there are only three doctors down there."  
Wilson watched house slowly draw a protruding leg closer to his body.

"House…" Cuddy's threatening tone would be enough to get anyone to obey, but House wasn't anyone, as Wilson had discovered a long time ago.  
Cuddy looked helplessly at Foreman, who shrugged. Wilson pushed himself off the desk, and went over to Cuddy.  
"Just keep talking," he suggested. "Stay here a while."  
Cuddy folded her arms impatiently.

"Good thing I've got nothing better to do."  
"I'm not coming out."

"I've got time." Cuddy stood, glaring at the desktop for a moment, then realised that, if she didn't have time, she'd better make time.

"Where are Cameron and Chase?"

She didn't really care, and she knew they were likely to be running tests.

"Toilet break, I think," Foreman said.

"No," Wilson countered. "I saw them in the cafeteria."

"Is it just me, or are they getting very close lately?" Cuddy asked, resigning herself to an hour or so in the office.

"No, it's not just you," came a voice from under the table. "Maybe we can get them to go on a conference together, preferably interstate."

"Maybe you can do nothing," Cuddy suggested menacingly.

"Don't you think they'd look cute together?" Wilson said.

"Yes," Cuddy said," but I don't trust an plan house might have for them."

Wilson considered this, then nodded agreeably.

"True. But I do think someone should do something. Nothing's going to happen if we leave it to them."

"Maybe you shouldn't push them into a relationship," Foreman, sick of being ignored, posed, an eyebrow raised. "After that one night thing, I'm sure they're both very uncomfortable around each other."

Wilson nodded pensively. House scoffed, and Cuddy looked confused.

"What one night thing?"

Foreman immediately looked guilty, as was evident on his face, but Wilson looked amused.

"You didn't know about that?"

Cuddy shook her head with interest.

"House _suspects_," Wilson said, using his hands to emphasise his point, "That Cameron _might_ have slept with Chase."

Wilson was scared her eyeballs might fall out.

"Careful," he warned, "this carpet isn't the best for finding lost eyes."

Cuddy blinked a few times, though Wilson wasn't sure whether it was because of what he said, or because they were drying out.

"So," House said. "Conference?"

"I'm not doing anything because you want me to."

"It's not such a bad idea," Wilson said. Cuddy pursed her lips.

"If you come down and do your clinic duty, I'll think about it."

"It really is in your best interest," House said, crawling out from under the desk. "With all their issues, they can't work together without fighting or flirting?"

"Since when do they flirt?" Foreman asked him.

"You're obviously not around them as much as I am," said House, straightening up and flexing his arm that had fallen asleep after being lain on for a couple of minutes.

"I'll see what I can do," Cuddy promised.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks to OuEstLaCraie for her concrit...I kept it in mind, but I don't think I did a very good job with it, sorry. And thanks to Esther for her review. And another thanks to ell. I've actually already written it all out, so I probably won't be able to incorporate your idea. _However_...something of the sort does happen later on ;). If you're an anonymous reviewer, if you feel comfortable, please leave an email address. I love to respond to comments.

* * *

_Finally, a decision was reached. The prince and the princess were to be sent away together, in hope that they might realise their hidden feelings._

Cuddy looked up from the seventeenth letter she was writing to find House peering down at her in-tray.

"What's do you want?"

"A surgery to remove a surgical pin so I can get an MRI."

"You can't use the CT?"

"Ah…no."

Cuddy gave him a solid stare.

"No."

"Whoops," House said, lowering his eyes.

"What have you done?" Cuddy asked warily.

"No need for the surgery now anyway."

House started to limp out of the office as quickly as he could.

"Hey!" Cuddy called sharply. "Done your clinic hours?"

House slowed. "Got that conference organised?"

"Illinois."

"Then…not yet," he said, and headed in the direction of the clinic.

* * *

"Why?" Chase had reason to be suspicious. This was the first he'd heard of a seminar in Illinois, signalling that it wasn't a very important one. To be sending two of them to this thing suggested House had an ulterior motive. 

"Why not?" If there was something House was hiding, he was hiding it well.

"Probably a correct answer on a philosophy exam, but no the one I'm looking for."

Cameron had said nothing after being given this news, but she was frowning slightly and looked like she agreed with the little Chase had said.

"It's got a good immunologist speaking and…you haven't had time off for a while."

"Neither has Foreman," Chase said.

"Are you kidding, he took half a lifetime off a few months ago."

"That doesn't count," Cameron protested. "He was sick."

"The point is," House raised his voice over the top of hers, "I thought you needed a holiday." He got up and picked up his cane, which had slipped down to the floor.

Chase and Cameron exchanged a look, then watched House leave the room. Before he started down the hallway, he turned around and called out, "Be packed by Tuesday."

"I had plans this Tuesday," Cameron grumbled, sitting down. "Had you heard about this thing?"

Chase sat opposite her. "Nuh. Bit late notice, too, isn't it?"

Cameron shrugged. "Yeah. I guess."

"Should be ok, though. Make the best of it, I s'pose."

Cameron smiled at his uncharacteristic optimism.

"I could do with a holiday, actually," Cameron agreed. "I haven't been to Illinois for a while."

"I've never been."

Cameron looked up. "I'll have to take you to a nice restaurant I know."

Chase raised his arms at the elbow.

"Why not?" We've got a few days."

A moment's silence was heard before—

"What were your plans?"

Cameron looked over at him.

"My plans?"

"Yeah, for Tuesday."

Cameron paused.

"Nothing that can't wait," she smiled, deliberately taunting him, disappointed when he nodded understandingly.

"D'you reckon House'd give me Monday off to pack?" he asked her.

"No."

"Oh."

_The Royal Court thought a carriage ride to their destination might be romantic, but the prince and princess were only uncomfortable as they bounced down the unsealed roads._

"Do you want to swap seats?" Cameron asked, noting the nervous look Chase gave the airsick bag as it was passed over his lap.

"Nah, it's fine."

"Sure?" Cameron pushed herself out of her seat anyway. "Move."

Chase got up and, with difficulty, tried to climb underneath her as she shuffled sideways.

"You right?" Cameron asked, watching Chase fall awkwardly into the window seat. Chase felt guilty that Cameron was obliged to ask him that, rather than the other way around. He had noticed how quiet Cameron was as they flew through numerous air pockets, causing the plane to jerk up and down.

Chase, unused to flying, found his stomach rather unsettled as well, but it was Cameron who had reached for the bag first.

"Would you like some orange juice?"

Cameron looked up into a friendly air hostess' face.

"Just some water, please," she replied. "Chase?"

"For me, too."

The woman filled two clear plastic cups with water and handed them both to Cameron.

"Are you ok?" she asked him, waiting for him to put down his tray. "You look a bit pale."

"I'm ok. Not used to flying."

"Really?" Cameron sipped at her water. "I used to fly all the time."

"Still not used to it?" Chase asked, determinedly staring at the seat in front of him, swallowing a few times, trying to keep the content of his stomach in the right place.

Cameron shrugged. "Guess not. It was actually something I grew into. I was never sick when I was younger."

"My mum hated heights," Chase told her. "My first plane trip was on the way here a couple of year ago."

"Oh," Cameron said sympathetically. "You never went on holidays?"

"Course we went on holidays. God, driving up to Cairns once a year was the worst part of my childhood."

"I don't know where Cairns is."

"In Queensland, right up the top."

"Oh," Cameron laughed. "And you're from Melbourne."

Cameron was feeling better now, though she wasn't sure if whatever it was had passed, or whether Chase had just taken her mind off it. Both, probably.

"We'll be landing soon," Cameron said, glancing at her watch. "Hungry?"

She was met with a groan and a definite, "No."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

* * *

_When they reached their destination, tired and sore from the journey, they collapsed into a bed together, ignoring the close proximity._

"One bed," Cameron observed with distaste. "Who booked this room?"

"House."  
Cameron shook her head wearily, staring longingly at the bed.

"We could go down and ask for a different room," Chase suggested, pushing his small suitcase under the desk in the corner with his foot. Cameron shrugged unwillingly.

"I'd rather not," she said reluctantly. Why had they booked such a late flight? "I don't mind if you don't."

Cameron rather felt like she had said the wrong thing when Chase didn't reply, merely dropped a pen he was looking at.

"We…could-"

"I don't mind," Chase said quickly. Cameron smiled at his failed attempts to look casual.

"We can go down tomorrow morning and ask for a different room."

Cameron fell onto the bed, learning that this particular hotel carpeted their roof.

Chase approached the bed cautiously, wondering whether it was ok to sit down beside her. If he was honest with himself, he wasn't entirely comfortable about getting into bed with her, but how could he say no? Cameron might get the wrong idea.

Cameron didn't move when she felt a weigh push the puffy bed spread down, but look up into his face.

"It's a bit cliché, isn't it?"

"Cliché?" Chase echoed quizzically, putting his head down beside hers, feeling that it would be very easy to fall asleep where he lay.

"The two main characters find themselves with only one bed to share, and while one offers to sleep on the couch-"

Chase opened his mouth to do just that, but Cameron continued hastily.

"-they always end up in the bed together anyway. And what starts as an innocent trying-to-get-to-sleep session turns into sex or something close."

Chase had taken his eyes off Cameron and was nervously looking around the room. Cameron smiled to herself, turning her face to Chase.

"And then the guy says, "It's not you, but maybe I should sleep on the couch." And then it's awkward for weeks after."

Chase didn't say anything.

"You know another cliché?" she whispered, drawing his gaze back to her. He looked apprehensive. "The fact that I'm so close to you I could kiss you without a second's thought."

She almost did, too, to prove her point, but didn't think Chase'd appreciate it. Cameron sat up, tucking her fringe behind her ears.

"I might go to bed."

Chase leapt off the bed, nodding, and pulled out the suitcase he had neatly tucked away just minutes earlier.

"You can have the bathroom first," he said.

"Thanks."

Chase inclined his head and watched Cameron take her pyjamas out of a small carry bag that Chase recognised as the one she had taken on the plane with her. Organised, he noted. Able to plan ahead, Chase guessed, which was something he admired, not being able to do so himself.

"Your turn." Chase looked up and blinked, taken aback.

"That was…quick."

"I'm not like every other girl you meet," she said scathingly. "I don't spend years in the bathroom."

Chase didn't take his eyes off Cameron, preparing for sleep, as he made the short trip to the cramped bathroom.

She was wearing a very modest set of pyjamas. She had deliberately chosen them when searching around for suitable clothing to take. They were a plain flannelette pair, an extra layer of heat she was glad for as she lay under the doona, he eyes still open.

Cameron heard the toilet flush and, a moment later, Chase cam out, switching off the bathroom light and closing the door quietly.

"Could you turn the light off?" Cameron asked him, putting the bedside light on. Chase obediently went over to the door and flicked it off.

He slid under the sheets beside her.

"All good?" Cameron asked, and when he said "Yeah," she put them both in darkness.

Cameron was lying on the edge of the bed, to give Chase as much room as possible, and she guessed he was doing the same. Considering it was a double bed, it was very small. There was not much room between them, and Cameron could feel Chase lying stiffly beside her.

"You're never going to sleep like that," she said to him, hating the silence.

"Like what?"

"Unclench," she said soothingly.

Cameron heard a ruffling from Chase's side.

"Maybe I should-"

Cameron grabbed his arm before he had even got a leg of the bed.

"Let's not turn this into a cliché."

_In the morning, things were awkward, and topics that were normally discussed with ease were avoided. However, personal issues aside, they went about their question: to seek answers._

"I didn't get much of that," Chase told Cameron when they were sitting at a small table in a local café. Taking a bite of a hastily chosen sandwich, he quickly realised he wasn't in a five star restaurant but resisted the urge to spit it out.

"I thought it was ok," Cameron said. "I thought he made a good point on Golding. Don't you think?"

"Mm," Chase mumbled. In truth, he couldn't remember the lecturer ever saying anything about Golding. It was possibly because he was tired. Chase had woken numerous times during the night, and shifted several inches away from Cameron each time. It was a tiny bed for two people. Chase had decided, even if they hadn't tried to be an opposite sides of the Amazon River.

Or maybe it had been because he was distracted.

Cameron had been on his mind all morning. Sitting next to her in the lecture theatre, he had been very conscious of every impatient brush of her hand against her forehead (Chase decided he would get her a hair clip for Christmas) and every stifled yawn.

"Are you going to eat that?" Cameron asked, dragging him out of his thoughts. He pushed his plate towards her.

"It's all yours."

She gave him an odd look.

"I don't want it. If you're done, let's go."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

A/N: I'm...not entirely sure what colour Cameron's eyes are, but I'm leaning on brown. And the fluff just continues, so if you don't like it, you might want to leave.

* * *

_The answers the prince wanted had not been found, but there were plenty of other ones that had been. He knew…he knew now what love felt like, but he admitted it to no one, not even himself._

"This is it." Cameron paused outside a small restaurant, then pushed open the door. Chase didn't quite get the name before following Cameron inside. The place was empty enough for them each to spot a table. The started in different directions, Chase towards the window, Cameron towards a wall. Chase caught on quicker than Cameron and headed over her way. She put her hand on the back of one chair, and Chase scooted over and pulled it out for her.

She must have misunderstood, as Chase caught a flicker of annoyance as she sat in the chair opposite.

Cameron didn't smile when she handed him a menu. He opened it slowly, watching her eyes run across the page.

She had very pretty eyes, Chase decided, never having really noticed them properly before. Faint make-up lined them, drawing attention to the deep brown.

A faint crease appeared across her forehead, something Chase realised he was quite familiar with. It was always present when she was confused.

What would Cameron be confused about tonight? He wondered. Picking a meal wasn't that difficult.

"Chase?"

Chase put his menu down. Cameron was looking at him, and so was a waiter.

"Done yet?"

Flustered, he hurriedly scanned the list.

"Um…I'll have number 14."

The waiter wrote it down.

"I thought you didn't like fish."

Wondering how she knew that, Chase had another look down at the menu.

"Sorry, I meant 13."

The waiter didn't look at all riled, which Chase was grateful for, as he changed the order.

"Is that all?"

Cameron glanced at Chase before saying, "Yes, thank you."

After straightening out her cutler, Cameron looked up at Chase.

"So," she said, "enjoyed the second half?"

"No," Chase said plainly. "I couldn't understand a word of it."

Cameron laughed prettily, knowing that this time, it wasn't the context that went over his head, but the speaker's accent.

"I had cousins who spoke like that," she told him. "He was still difficult to understand though."

"I had an _aunt_ who spoke like that," Chase said. "She loved to talk. She rang about once a month and I never had the heart to tell her I never caught a word."

Cameron smiled softly – Chase didn't know how one could smile softly or otherwise, but it seemed a fitting adjective. Perhaps it was because of eyes 'softening' with her lips.

Chase shook his head sorrowfully.

"She asked me once whether I was ok with just a card for Christmas. And of course, I didn't know what she said, so I…"

Predicting the rest of the story, Cameron laughed again.

"Poor Chase," she said teasingly. "How old were you?"

"About eight, I think."

"I think that was the year I didn't get anything from Santa," Cameron said thoughtfully. "I was so disappointed. Then my parents told me who Santa really was, and I wouldn't talk to them for all of three hours."

Chase snorted into his glass of water. He had started to take a drink, and was in the middle of swallowing.

An unpleasant feeling went through the back of his throat and into his nose. He started to cough, his eyes watering.

"Are you ok?" Cameron asked him, though Chase thought she didn't sound too concerned.

"Yeah," he got out, blinking away the tears. "I'm fine."

He spent a minute or so wriggling his nose, trying to get rid of the trickling sensation, feeling Cameron's gaze on him. He cursed himself for being an idiot.

Cameron pulled her handbag across her lap and rummaged for something.

She must've kept her bag neat, as she quickly found what she was looking for. She handed him a Kleenex, which he took and blew into.

"Three hours," he said finally, trying to restore some of the sanity that was present before. "Practically a lifetime."

"For an eight year old girl," she said seriously, "when you're not allowed to open your presents, three hours is a long time."

_The princess, her affection for the prince growing by the day, realised she was feeling something more than friendship towards the prince, but was struggling to figure out what._

They had been late this morning (surprising, Cameron thought, considering they had both leapt out of bed when Chase's tiny alarm clock had woken them. Cameron had opened her eyes and _just_ prevented herself from exclaiming when she saw Chase sitting up next to her) which was why they hadn't had a chance to request a room change at the reception. This was perhaps why they were having no luck now.

"I'll see what we can do," the smartly dressed receptionist said brightly, but then added, with a hint of doubt, "It's a bit late notice, though."

Cameron nodded politely and thanked him as he left the desk, hopefully to find someone who could help them. Chase was leaning casually against the counter, his arm over the top of it, gazing at Cameron blankly. Cameron was drumming her fingers on the counter top quietly, trying to ignore Chase, watching the receptionist talk to an annoyed looking, straight-backed man, who threw a couple of glances in her direction. An impatient sigh a curt few words later, the two were approached by a seemingly genuine smile.

"I'm so sorry to keep you waiting," and Cameron had to admit he did sound very apologetic. "I'm afraid there's no room available for you tonight. One will be vacant on Saturday. We could book you in for then, if you would like."

"We'll be gone by then," Cameron told him. "But thank you."

Chase peeled himself off the counter.

"That's that, then," he said to Cameron. She nodded dejectedly as they made their way to the elevator, Cameron still feeling the man's smile on her back.

"Oh, well," she said, pushing the up button. "As long as sleeping with me wasn't that bad…"

Chase remained silent. He had seemed edgy around her today. Not in a totally obvious way, but a noticeable one - she was fairly certain that, had they been back in New Jersey, House would've picked up on it almost instantly, but Foreman…actually, she wasn't sure about Foreman. She was never sure about Foreman any more - his eyes never seemed to meet hers, not even when he was talking to her. She was quite sure he didn't used to avoid eye contact. He had jumped, too, when she put his plate down on the table over his shoulder.

Back in their room, they were quick to get ready for bed. They were both quite tired. Cameron could understand her own sleepiness; doing nothing all but sit and listen wore her out. She wasn't quite sure why Chase was in the same state of mind, but concluded it was probably the same reason as her.

Lying in bed, Cameron could feel Chase, still totally unrelaxed, beside her. She decided that the only way to make him more comfortable was to bridge the gap they were trying so hard to maintain. She reached out a hand tentatively, searching for his underneath the blankets. He immediately recoiled when she came into contact with it.

"Sorry," she said automatically, drawing her own hand back into her half of the bed. Chase mumbled something along the lines of "It's fine," and they went back to being awkwardly silent, though they both knew what the other was thinking about.

After that, Cameron decided she didn't care whether Chase slept at all, but she was going to, so she did.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

* * *

_The prince and princess were walking to their destination when out of nowhere, a wild horse came charging along and kicked the princess with its bucks. The prince stayed calm as he helped carry the princess to a nearby shelter and cared for her as best he could. The princess' affection grew enormously._

Chase woke early again, and slid out of bed to avoid waking Cameron. He stood by the bed, unsure what to do. Cameron was sleeping peacefully, undisturbed by Chase's movement. The doona was resting just below her shoulders. She was lying on her back, her whole body – or what Chase could see of it – looking very symmetrical. She looked, come to think of it, like a sleeping princess, waiting for her knight to wake her with a kiss, for him to rescue her…

Chase was alarmed to find himself so close to Cameron's side of the bed, having moved over to her without realising. He stepped back.

Cameron had left her computer on. With a quick glance at the desktop, he spotted a very familiar symbol or Tetris. Reassuring himself that Cameron was still fast asleep, he sat down at the desk. Cameron had two windows minimized, a 'Cannot find server' web page, and an untitled Word document.

Chase bombed out pretty quickly in his first game. He was horrified to see, after absent-mindedly typing his name in the high score box that came up, his name resting at number 3 amongst all the 'Allison's.

Big mistake, he groaned inwardly. He figured, though, that if he played a few more games, beating his own high score and filling the page with 'Allison's again, he'd be in no trouble. Which looked quite an easy task because, no offence to anyone, but Allison sucked.

Chase looked at the list again, noting the scone he needed to beat. Hopefully Cameron wouldn't notice the enormous high scores she had suddenly gained.

When Cameron opened one bleary eye and hour later, she froze. Chase was staring, wide-eyed, at her laptop screen, his fingers resting on the arrow keys.

"What are you doing?" she asked him, suddenly wide awake. He jumped, clicked something hastily and stood up guiltily.

"Nothing," he said weakly, then, "Sorry."

Cameron was struggling between anger and embarrassment. She wasn't sure what she had written in the last couple of sentences of her digital diary, and there was nothing to say he hadn't scrolled up to read previous entries. She cursed herself for leaving it open.

* * *

Cameron pulled her gloves out of her pocket. It was abnormally cold, even for December. She was even breathing steam. Chase had his hands shoved deep in his pockets. His nose was turning red, and she wouldn't have been surprised if hers was doing the same.

"Cameron!"

She was suddenly being pulled off the pavement into a garden bed that lined the sidewalk. A couple of young bikers whizzed past, shouting to each other.

It was only when they had passed did she realise how strongly her hear was beating.

"Little terrors," Chase said angrily, releasing his grip on Cameron's waist. "You ok?"

"Fine."

They stepped carefully out of the bushes.

"That was-"

"Agh!"

Cameron fell on Chase. She hadn't seen the gutter.

"What's wrong?"

"Ankle," she said through gritted teeth. She'd broken her wrist in 6th grade, but she couldn't remember it hurting as much as this.

"Can you walk?" Chase asked. She put her foot down, testing the weight. It smarted terribly, but she nodded bravely.

"There's a bench over there."

Chase stopped when she drew in a sharp breath. No, she decided, she couldn't walk on it.

Without any warning, Chase picked her up and carried her the few feet. While she felt the jolting, it didn't hurt nearly as much as when she put pressure on it.

Chase sat her down gently. He knelt down beside her feet, and picked up her left. He moved it up slowly and only stopped when she cried out. He moved it to the right.

"Ow, OW, stop!"

"Think you sprained it," he told her.

"Yeah, thanks for clearing that up," she snapped.

"Hey," he said, letting her foot drop again. "It's not my fault."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"No problem," he said, and didn't sound the least bit annoyed at her. "How about if I run back to our room and get my first aid kit?"

Cameron hadn't realised how slowly they'd been walking; they hadn't got more than a few hundred feet from the hotel.

"Will you be warm enough?" he asked, standing up.

"I've got a bandage in my bag."

Cameron nodded to her satchel.

"Very prepared," Chase grinned, and took up her bag.

"You don't mind…?" Chase looked at her for permission before unzipping it. She shook her head. Very considerate of him to ask, Cameron thought. Most people wouldn't have.

It was a little odd watching Chase go through her bag, though. It took him a surprisingly long time to find the bandage.

"I'm just going to make it tight enough so it won't move," he told her, carefully removing her shoe.

"I also know how to wrap a sprained ankle," she said coldly, grimacing. Chase looked up at her.

"Yeah," he said. "Sorry."

Cameron shrugged, wincing as he pulled her sock off. She frowned at how much it was swelling, and wished their audience would disappear.

"At least my foot won't be cold," she sighed, shivering as Chase wrapped the bandage around her foot tightly.

"Let's skip today's thing," Chase suggested.

"Cuddy paid for that," Cameron scolded him. "We shouldn't-"

"I don't think she'll mind, with your ankle."

"I'll manage," she said curtly. "Besides, _you_ shouldn't be using _my _ankle as an excuse."

"You're not going anywhere fast without _my_ help, are you?"

Cameron had to agree with that one and, honestly, she'd rather sit in a heated hotel room than a full but freezing lecture hall.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

* * *

_The prince was worried that he was trying too hard to make her comfortable, but she appreciated every gesture._

Chase opened the door, balancing two cups of takeaway coffee, one on top of the other, in one hand, and a pair of crutches in the other.

"Coffee?" Chase offered. Cameron was sitting quietly on the bed, her foot placed on the desk's chair that Chase had dragged over for her. Her face was a bit paler than normal.

"Thanks," she smiled, reaching out for it. Chase lay down the crutches beside her and handed her a cup.

"We should put some ice on that," he said, nodding to her foot.

"Probably too late now," she replied. "Besides, it was cold enough out there. My toes almost fell off after the sock came off, so…"

"Sorry," Chase couldn't help but say.

"Not your fault," she said cheerfully. In fact, she was surprisingly good-spirited for someone who was in so much pain recently, that she had been so uncharacteristically irritable.

"Does it still hurt?"

"Not much," Cameron said, wriggling her toes. "You did a good job with the bandage. It's numb."

She smiled at Chase to show that she was joking, and he found he couldn't meet her yes.

"It was…no problem," he said, swallowing nervously, though he knew he had no reason to. She patted the bed next to her and Chase went over and sat down.

"Is your foot cold?" he asked her, struggling to find something to say.

"Actually, yeah," Cameron admitted. Chase jumped up and went over to the wardrobe, looking for a blanket. He found one and draped it over Cameron's outstretched leg.

"Thank you."

He sat back down beside her.

"Are you hungry?"

"Actually-"

"I'll run across the road and get…what would you like?"

"Anything," she shrugged. "Preferably without tomatoes."

"Want a pasty?"

"Sure."

Chase took the keys up again from the desk.

"I'll be back in 20."

Cameron just smiled.

* * *

Cameron looked around the room idly. She spotted a folded newspaper by Chase's stuff and wondered on the least painful way to get it. A scraping at the door announced Chase's premature arrival. He poked his head around the door, and searched round the room, similarly to Cameron. He strode over to his bag and picked up the newspaper.

Oh, well, Cameron thought disappointedly. There might be a bible in the bed side drawer or something…

"Keep yourself occupied," Chase said, throwing the paper to her. It landed in a heap beside her.

"Won't be long," he said and disappeared again. Cameron was touched.

* * *

"Tomato sauce?"

Cameron took the sachet of ketchup he held out for her. He had dragged the desk over to where she was sitting so she didn't have to move, but she was getting a bit uncomfortable, with nothing to lean back on.

"You don't think Cuddy will mind?" Cameron asked anxiously.

"I'm sure she'll understand," Chase said through a mouthful of something steaming.

Neither of them said anything for a while, chewing quietly, and avoiding the other's gaze.

"What do you reckon House and Foreman are doing?" Chase finally said.

"Not much, probably," Cameron replied.

Another silence.

"I wonder why House sent us," Cameron mused.

"Because there's an immunologist, and I haven't-"

"You can't believe that," Cameron scoffed. "Especially his excuse for you."

She shook her head and stabbed a piece of pasty roughly.

"Do you honestly believe House just wants you to have a holiday?" she said, though she had the decency to swallow her mouthful first. "No, he probably…I bet he bet on us," she said acidly.

"What?"

"Bet that we'd go out sometime or something, resulting from this." Cameron was quite good at acting. Chase was always visibly uncomfortable when she talked about sex, or relationships, or him and her…together…

But Cameron could keep a poker face. She looked and sounded casual when she said, "So we're just going to have to make him lose by not dating," but really, her heart was pounding and her mouth was dry.

One look at Chase's face told her it was the wrong thing to say, though his expression cleared immediately. He hardly looked like he, himself, knew how disappointed he had just appeared.

"Better than betting on patients, I guess," Chase said pensively, and Cameron nodded, beginning to wonder if she had, in fact, _imagined_ Chase's down-cast eyes.

* * *

In bed that night, Cameron was shivering uncontrollably. She thought she might be falling sick. Huddled on her side of the bed, even the extra blanket wasn't doing enough. Her ankle was throbbing and she was trying her hardest not to move it.

"Are you cold?"

Cameron rolled her head around, though it was too dark to see him.

"Yeah, it's been…colder than I expected."  
"Come here," Chase said, moving over to her, putting one hand on her back and one over her stomach. Bewildered, she obediently rolled into him. He shifted slightly, and his arms relaxed around her.

"Better?" he asked her quietly.

"Much," she replied, just as softly. She could feel him breathing into her hair, slowly and evenly. She _was_ grateful for the extra heat, though she wasn't sure how she was going to be able to sleep. She was extremely wide awake, coming to terms that she was lying in Chase's arms, a place she realised she really wanted to be.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

A/N: I am so appreciative of the positive feedback! I'm so glad you're all enjoying it. Lots of small talk in this chapter - I think I went a bit too far with some of it. Please don't space out too much.

* * *

_They were keen to return home, having had enough of the journey, even though their quest had not been completed. They had one last stab at an answer, before giving up, none too reluctantly. Having spent three days with each other, their discomfort was less apparent, though there were still moments in which their uneasiness returned._

"Come on, Chase, it's only two hours."

"You're injured. I'm sure they'd understand."

"This is the immunologist House sent me for. And he wanted me to find out about a new drug."

Chase sighed inwardly. He couldn't keep arguing with Cameron. She obviously wanted to go to this thing.

Cameron had hardly touched her suitcase, so it appeared. It was already neatly packed, and all Cameron seemed to do was fold her pyjamas on the top.

Chase, on the other hand, was not quite so tidy. It wasn't a complete disaster, with items of clothing strewn around the room - no, he had more dignity than that. They were all contained within his travel bag, but he hadn't bothered to fold anything. However, he'd had quite a lot of room to spare when he departed, so the fact that his suitcase looked like a laundry basket (which, in a way, he supposed it was) didn't matter, as it didn't take up more room than he had to spare.

Chase zipped up the bag and stood it up.

Cameron came out of the bathroom, struggling with her toiletries bag and her crutches. Chase went over and took the bag out of her hands.

"Thanks." She gestured with her head to her suitcase. "Could you put it in the front pocket?"

Chase obliged. He thought perhaps she had injured a lower body part before, as she had an unusual aptitude for using crutches.

"You ready?" she asked him.

"Yep."

She inclined her head to the door.

"Let's go."

* * *

Chase, again, didn't take a word in, though he knew Cameron, beside him, was very interested by the kind of attention she was paying to the front. 

Today, Chase had a different excuse. He hardly slept the night before. If asked why, he would have replied, "Some girl fell asleep in my arms." He put it down to the awkwardness of the position - his arm had fallen asleep long before he had, taking Cameron's weight – rather than the fact that he'd been smelling Cameron's fruity hair all night.

The speaker was talking about treating autoimmune diseases. Chase wasn't fully listening, but he got that much from the number of times the word was mentioned.

Chase turned his attention to Cameron. While tidily brushed, her hair wasn't anything special this morning. She was tapping every now and then on the arm rest of her chair. She had neat nails, not bitten or too long.

Chase wondering if they could leave at the interval if Cameron learned of her drug by then. A second look at Cameron made him see that she was concentrating about as much as he was. Her eyes were blankly staring in the direction they were supposed to be, but she looked about ready to fall asleep. She was moving her left foot restlessly, and Chase wondered whether it was still hurting. He had offered his knee for Cameron's foot, but she had politely declined.

Chase checked his watch. 27 minutes until they were free.

* * *

"Can we go now?" Chase tried hard to keep the whine out of his voice. Cameron seemed to consider this for a moment, then said reluctantly, "Ok." 

Chase was pretty sure that she was just as happy to get out of there as he was.

* * *

"So did you get the info on that drug?" 

If Cameron hadn't had both hands occupied, one would've flown to her mouth.

"I forgot. Should we-"

"No," Chase said firmly. Cameron was hesitating.

"Come on, Cameron," Chase pleased.

"If Cuddy's angry…" Cameron began to hop after him, but more slowly.

"Besides, you weren't listening so closely before. He probably mentioned it already." He glanced back at her, and she was guiltily silent. They walked a way, Chase having to remember to move slowly for Cameron.

"You're pretty good at using those things," he said.

"They're not as hard as I thought."

"You've never used them before?"

Cameron shook her head.

"They're exhausting, though."

"Not lack of sleep?"

"No."

So she slept well. Was that a good sign or a bad sign – Chase didn't know.

But a sign for what?

"Lunch?" Chase suggested, and was met with a shrug and a nod.

* * *

"Maybe I'll sit on the aisle this time," Cameron offered. 

"Alright." Chase slid in and sat down.

"Is there anything you take for air sickness?" Chase asked her, lifting his feet to make room for her crutches.

"No. I tried a couple, but none of them seemed to work. I just don't eat for about an hour before…it helps a bit."

"You _haven't_ eaten, have you?" Chase checked with her.

"No," she laughed. "Don't worry. I should be fine."

"_Should_ be."

"Should be."

* * *

"Do you watch CSI?" 

"No time, really," Cameron answered after refusing a packet of dried cranberries.

"You don't seem like a CSI person," he agreed.

"Do you watch?" she asked.

"Nope."

"So you…really wanted to know," she said. "It wasn't just a conversation starter."

"A little of both," Chase admitted. "What _do_ you watch?"

Cameron shrugged. "I don't watch much. I turn on the news if I'm home. My friends often talk about Grey's Anatomy, but I can't watch doctor shows."

"I'm the same. I do watch Scrubs, though, when I can."

Cameron laughed. "I used to love Scrubs! My brother got me into it."

"They say they'll reveal the janitor's name at the end of the series," Chase said excitedly.

"I haven't watched for ages."

Silence.

"Now that's a conversation ender."

* * *

"My parents were really good with that stuff," Chase said quietly. The passengers in front of him were sleeping. "At least one of them came to my speech nights." 

"My mom came if I was in some ensemble, or won something."

"That'd be every speech night, right?"

Cameron looked startled, but his comment resulted in a smile.

"It wasn't a _that_ common situation," she said modestly, but her grin said she was flattered all the same.

"I bet it was," Chase said, not sure whether to keep pushing the subject or not.

"Stop it, Chase," Cameron said, though not at all sternly. "You always overestimate me."

"I never overestimate you," he countered solemnly, surprised at the intensity that came through. Cameron didn't break his gaze as he stared sincerely at her. A minute passed, or what felt like one. It was like Cameron was searching for something, sorting through Chase to find out exactly what he meant. Sorry, Cameron, but he didn't come with a Chase-English dictionary.

"Good afternoon, passengers," a voice sounded above their heads, causing them to look up, and the moment shattered to pieces around them.

"It's 4:36 in our destination city and approximately 40 degrees."

"Why so cold?" Cameron wanted to know, but Chase thought she wasn't really talking to him.

"Please fasten your seatbelts, we will be landing shortly."

Chase realised he hadn't, throughout the whole of the trip, felt the slightest bit queasy.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

A/N: Whoa. Rereading this chapter, I used 'said' very rarely. That probably makes this chapter seem a bit...forced. Sorry.

* * *

_Their return was well-received, and there was no mention of their quest. The king was quite sure the trip had had the desired effect._

"Cameron!" House barked. "What'd Chase do to you?"

She and Chase exchanged a grin.

"I sprained my ankle."

"Whoa, steady on, Chase," House said, feigning disapproval. "That's the last time I leave you in a bed together."

A minute of stony silence followed.

"Now that wasn't funny," Cameron said at last.

"Tell me, did you sleep on the edge of the bed, snuggled together somewhere in the middle, or on your respective sides but holding hands in? Or was there not much sleeping going on?" he appended, with a suggestive growl.

"We went to reception and got a change of room" Cameron told him, smirking.

"What number?" House demanded.

"64," Chase made up quickly.

"There was no 64," House said slyly.

"Yes there was," Chase put in. "We were in it."

Cameron had no idea how Chase knew House was bluffing, but House seemed content with that answer.

"And back to the drawing board," House said, tapping the whiteboard.

"Leukaemia," Chase posed.

"Look at the white count," Cameron said, shaking her head.

"True." Chase inclined his head in acknowledgement.

"What about the he lungs?" Cameron said.

"The lungs don't have anything to do with _any_ of the symptoms," Chase pointed out kindly.

"No, listen," Cameron insisted. "TB _might-_"

"No, it wouldn't," Foreman said bluntly.

"Ok," Cameron accepted easily.

"I'm going to go talk to her," House announced. The three fellows watched him limp out.

"Wonder what he's _really_ up to," Chase mused.

"Can I get you coffee?" Cameron asked the room at large, bending down to retrieve a fallen crutch.

"No," Chase said harshly, narrowing his eyes. "You're injured. I'll get you coffee.

Cameron smiled appreciatively to Foreman, who didn't give much of a reaction.

"You look really tired, Cameron," Chase said, sounding concerned.

"Jet lag."

"It was an afternoon flight," Foreman said incredulously. "And there's no time different between here and Illinois."

Cameron laughed. "Yeah, but I gotta blame it on something."

"Sleep ok last night?" Chase turned around and leant against the counter, waiting for the kettle to boil.

"Not really. Don't see why, though, it's good to be back in my own bed."

"Is your ankle still troubling you?" Chase asked, though he was fairly certain Cameron was suffering from the same condition he as: empty bed syndrome.

"No, not at all," Cameron said. "You did a good job with the bandage."

"'s'my job."

* * *

"They're not fighting so much today," House remarked, almost succeeding in taking a piece of Wilson's chicken.

"Good for them."

"We had an almost civilised differential."

Wilson said nothing.

"Have we switched roles today?" House asked. "Why is it me talking and you not listening?"

_The prince and princess found it easier to be a little more intimate with each other, having been closer than ever the last couple of days. It was at this point that acknowledging their own love for one another was unavoidable, but sharing these feelings proved much more difficult._

"Hey, Cameron, want to grab a drink?"

Cameron looked up at Chase, standing with his hands on his hips.

"Sure. Let me just finish this up."

Chase nodded, and sat down opposite her. They were silent for about half a minute, Cameron's keys tapping every now and then. Suddenly, Cameron raised her arms in a stretch.

"I can't work with you sitting there," she yawned, shutting down her computer. Chase cocked his head curiously.

"There's something about you that's…_distracting_."

Cameron hadn't intended for that to sound flirty, but there was no denying it did.

"Are we waiting for Foreman?" she asked, trying to erase the stunned expression off Chase's face.

"Just you and me," Chase said, and he didn't have the guts to tell her he hadn't even asked Foreman.

* * *

"Are you _sure_ it doesn't hurt?"

"How many times do you want me to tell you your bandaging is fantastic?"

"I'm just concerned, Cameron."

Cameron sighed.

"Thanks, Chase, but it's not necessary." She took a drink. "Do you call up your patients and ask if they're still in pain?"

"You're different."

"I should hope so," Cameron snorted. "But still."

"Want another?" Chase asked as she drained her glass.

"I shouldn't."

"I'll pay," he offered, not wanting to end the night so soon.

"No you won't. You paid last time." She pushed a couple of notes cross the table.

"For you as well. Seeing as you seem intent me not moving, I'd better pay you for your services."

Chase looked a little guilty at that, but took the money.

Chase had been extremely helpful the last couple of days. While irritating the hell out of her when he did the most simple things for her, when she stopped and looked at the situation, she realised how many simple things she _couldn't_ do at the moment.

"Keep the change," she said when Chase came back, but he gave her the coins with her drink, which she took without fuss.

"What shampoo do you use?" he asked when he'd settled down again. Cameron looked up in surprise.

"Why?"

"It smells good," Chase shrugged.

"I haven't used it for a couple of days," Cameron said curiously. "It shouldn't still be-"

"Not today. The other night."

Without extra information, Cameron knew exactly what he was talking about.

"I'm sorry, she said. "You should have told me. It's pretty strong. I mustn't have been easy to sleep with that in your face."

"No, it was fine."

By this time, both Chase and Cameron had figured out the neither of them had slept much that night. But still, by some sort of unwritten rule, they kept on lying.

"We should get going. I need to sleep," Cameron moaned. Chase closed his eyes for a second – they dried quicker when he was tired – and he was having a bit of trouble focusing on things for too long. He wasn't sure if this was the drink, or the fatigue.

Chase stood up and held out a hand to help Cameron up. She looked at it for a moment, wondering if he was offering to shake her hand.

He jerked his head, and that, for some reason, told Cameron what his intentions were.

"Thanks."

His hands were cold, from holding his drink. Her hands were warm, from sitting clasped on the table.

Chase pushed his chair in. He had driven Cameron to the bar and assumed he'd be driving her home. He was feeling quite flushed as he opened the car door for Cameron. He hoped he hadn't drunk too much.

"Do you know where you're going?" Cameron asked him.

"Colac road, right?"

"That's the one. A right here."

"I know where I'm going," he insisted.

"I'm sorry," she apologised immediately, knowing what her dad was like when it came to backseat drivers.

"I'm really bad at navigating."

"I'm not bad," he said stiffly, and Cameron wisely shut her mouth for the rest of the trip.

"I'll walk you up," Chase offered when they reached Cameron's apartment block.

"You'll be here all night," she said, stifling a yawn. "I'll just take the elevator."

She smiled warmly at him.

"Do you want me to swing by for you tomorrow?"

"Sorry?" Cameron was gathering her belongings.

"How've you been getting to the hospital each morning?" Chase asked, suddenly realising why she's been later than normal the past few days.

"I bus. There's a stop a little way down the road."

"Where do you get off?"

"Stemp road."

"That's years away!" Chase exclaimed.

"It's not that far."

"For you, it'd-"

"For God's sake, Chase, I'm not a cripple!" Cameron burst.

As soon as she said it, Cameron regretted it.

"I'll be round at quarter past 8," Chase said quietly, pretending she hadn't just yelled at him. Cameron was chewing words, not sure which ones to spit out.

"That would be…appreciated," she said eventually.

"See you tomorrow."

"Good night, Chase."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

A/N: Last chapter - loose ends tied up quite neatly, if I do say so myself. I hope it satisfies. Thanks to all who've read, and _especially_ thanks to those who reviewed!

* * *

_A celebration was held for the prince and princess, but they, alone, were unaware of the occasion's reason._

"Are we actually _expected_ to come to these things?" Chase asked boredly.

"I don't know," Cameron said. They were sitting at one of the few tables PPTH had supplied for the function. "I probably would anyway."

"Of course you would."

Cameron turned to him sharply.

"You're just that kind of person," he said resolutely. "It's not a _bad_ thing. You look good tonight," he appended casually. He had been contemplating say that all night, but wasn't sure how she'd take it.

It was a bit understatement, though. She was looking absolutely fantastic, albeit a bit odd with flat shoes – though a wise move on Cameron's behalf. A more modest dress than the last time he had seen her in formal wear, but her hair had been done up beautifully.

"Thanks," she said, making Chase wonder why he'd been reluctant to say it before. "You're not so bad yourself."

There wasn't a lot of activity going on around them. Some soft music was playing, which a handful of people were dancing to. Most people were standing with drinks, chatting. A couple of people were running around, selling raffle tickets.

"Have you seen Foreman around?" Cameron asked.

"Nope."

There was nothing, really, left to say.

"Want to dance?" Chase asked suddenly.

Cameron looked pointedly down at her ankle. She had stopped using crutches for a bit now, but she was still limping around.

"I don't know, Chase. This thing doesn't really let me move easily."

"We'll just stand out there and sway," he suggested. Cameron laughed doubtfully.

"You can lean on me."

He really wanted to do this. Why wasn't he afraid of looking like an idiot? She was terrified

Not wanting to displease, though, she got up. She put a hand on his shoulder, and he put one on her back, balancing them a little as they stumbled to the Christmas tree, where all the other couples were dancing.

"Let me know if you get tired," Chase said as he adopted a traditional dance position, a hand on her shoulder and one on her back.

After a while, Cameron asked liltingly, "Isn't it about time you asked whether my ankle's hurting?"

"Would you like me to?"

"No, it's ok," she smiled, inching closer to him. Unconsciously, he was doing the same.

"You look better today," Chase told her. "Sleep well?"

"Not really, actually. It's just the make-up."

"_Still_ not sleeping? How come?"

"I was thinking about something."

"Nothing worrying, I hope."

"Not, just distracting" she said cryptically, and laid her head on Chase's shoulder. Chase froze inside, but kept moving smoothly in time with the music. Over Chase's shoulder, Cameron smiled upon seeing a male doctor, not really listening to the group he was standing with, enviously eyeing Chase.

* * *

"They are so close to kissing," House said, sitting with Wilson, watching Cameron with her arms around Chase's neck. 

"Don't hold your breath," Wilson sad. "They're not going to do it in a public place."

_An exchange of gifts was not ill-received._

Two weeks ago, House's team had spent a couple of minutes drawing names out of a hat. Chase had got Cameron's, Cameron had got Chase's, and Foreman had got his own, and insisted they do it again. Chase was disappointed, as he knew exactly what to give Cameron, but it turned out he drew her name the second time around anyway.

"Ladies first," Chase said, handing her a box-shaped present with her name in typed fonts.

Cameron was a very neat unwrapper, carefully peeling the tape off, not ripping anything.

"Paper comes pretty cheap these days," Chase said, and Cameron smiled and tore of the remaining paper.

"Chase, are you kidding me?" she exclaimed, holding up a GPS box.

"How'd you know it was him?" Foreman asked, slightly offended that she didn't even consider he'd have bought something she obviously seemed so pleased with (though, of course, he wouldn't have).

"I told him how bad I was at navigating," she said, reading the back of the box. She went over to Chase and hugged Chase. "Thanks, Chase, that's sweet."

"Chase." Foreman handed over his present. Chase unwrapped it quickly and thanked for the mug even more quickly. Cameron assed over her present to Foreman and he, not to be out done by Chase, gave her a hug for the assortment of chocolates.

"I hope this didn't cost too much," Cameron said to Chase later. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I knew you need it more than I needed my 15 hundred dollars."

Cameron's jaw dropped."

"Chase, you're not serious."

"No."

"I…no?"

"Don't stress, Cameron," he said, laughing at her expression. "I won it in the hospital raffle."

* * *

When Chase got home that night, he found a beautifully wrapped present left on the passenger seat. He took it inside and put it on his bed. He resisted opening it until he was ready for bed. 

It was a book of crosswords. The card read:

If you sit at the back of the hall,

they won't even notice you're not listening

_One day, the prince stumbled across the princess, crying, and he stopped to comfort her. In hope that she'd stop being so sad, the prince kissed her._

Cameron sat in the chapel – the only place she was guaranteed a bit of privacy at the hospital – not afraid to cry; no one was there to witness.

"Cameron?"

There was no mistaking that handsome Australian accent. Cameron's first instinct was to turn around, but if she wanted to hide the free-falling tears, that wasn't an option.

"Chase," she choked. Chase dropped down beside her.

"Are you ok?" He took on look at her face and was given an answer – one that went against the "I'm fine" Cameron insisted upon.

"What's wrong?" He slipped hi arm around her shoulder and she leant into him, wiping her cheeks.

Neither spoke. Cameron was not a loud cryer, so the chapel was silent. Chase was content to sit, rubbing her arm gently, letting her cry into his shoulder. He didn't want to push her into talking about it if she didn't want to.

When she finally spoke, it was with a much clearer voice than Chase had expected, though quieter than normal.

"I got a phone call this morning," she told him not raising her head, not looking at him. "It was my dad."

Chase could anticipate the rest of the story, finding the set of circumstances very familiar.

My mum died yesterday," she said. Her voice stayed even, but Chase's shirt was suddenly drenched. "I didn't even know she was sick."

Chase stopped stroking her and her as she cried.

It was very still. Very peaceful. Cameron seemed so vulnerable. Seeing her let out her emotions so easily allowed Chase to do the same.

After a few minutes, Cameron looked up at him, her eyes dry but red. Chase lowered his head and kissed her. He received an unexpected reaction, though not an unpleasant one – a sweet kiss back.

They sat in the chapel for a long time. Not a word was said. Neither had to think about what had happened; it had felt so natural, so normal. They both watched a candle flicker, slowly burning down, their fingers laced together, sharing the moment.

_Everyone was overjoyed at the prince and princess' finally-found love. The prince and princess weren't as ecstatic as those around them thought they would be, but the world was now a brighter place, as they lived happily ever after. _


End file.
